| Photographs capture new building as it comes to life |
| Thursday, December 30, 2004
By Paul Singley Copyright � 2004 Republican-American |
| SOUTHBURY -- When people walk into the new $6.33 million Southbury Public Library, they will be reminded of all the hard work that made the facility a reality.
Even before the groundbreaking last March, Peirce Behrendt has captured every phase of the process with his trusty Nikon. He has shot everything from the open field on the corner of Old Field and Poverty roads, to the 32,000-square-foot, two-story frame that will one day hold millions of volumes and periodicals. Behrendt, who was recently given the honorary title of the official library photographer, has more than 300 photos of the construction. He plans to put those into a book that people can view at the library or purchase. He also wants to make a slide show for the grand opening, which is scheduled for July. "I'm on the site two or three times a week just catching whatever I can," he said. "It's interesting to see the progress." He has also taken photos of the current library so people will have a comparison. Behrendt, a former newspaper photographer and current full-time production support analyst at IBM, has three reasons why he spends his time on the project: to keep a record of progress; to show details that won't be noticable once it's done; and to show how much work construction workers put into the project. "All of the little details like the nuts and bolts will be totally obscured by the finished walls," he said. "I try to find little details that people take for granted. We don't always think about what goes into making a building." Shirley Michaels, chairwoman of the library's Board of Directors, said it will be nice to look back at the photos once construction is complete. "He is giving us a visual history of the project that we wouldn't otherwise have," she said. "I think it's wonderful." |